Former college quarterback Stephen Garcia faced a possible death sentence. Doctors diagnosed him with stage 4 colorectal cancer at 38.
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Garcia, who played for South Carolina, prepared for the worst.
"It was definitely a shock," he said. "I wasn't gonna sit there and be like, 'Well, I guess I'm dead.' It's like, all right, what are we gonna do? What's the game plan? How are we gonna beat this thing?'"
He began radiation and chemotherapy to beat the cancer in his liver and colon. The quarterback remembered what his doctor told him about his cancer.
"He was just like, you know, you're gonna, grow up to see your grandkids," Garcia said. "And he's a straight shooter. When he told me that, it was a pretty big boost of confidence."
The former quarterback was surprised to discover he had cancer after stomach pain and also frequent bathroom visits. Doctors found a lesion on his liver and colon.
Quarterback Fights Back
His wife, Masha, said, "I went blank because I was just like, 'I need to figure out a solution.' So I grabbed his phone, ran out the door to call his doctor to get everything in order.. You just have to fight."
She also praised the former quarterback for not giving up.
"He's brave, being this open with his diagnosis. Men do it in silence. They don't want to talk about it. No one wants to talk about it. And he was just so open," Masha said. The former quarterback says he feels overwhelmed by fans' support for his family.
"The fact that fans still care means a lot," he said. "And I hope they truly understand that. It means the world to me."
He's also launched Quarterback Your Health to try to help others in a similar situation.
Masha also explained, "This is our new reality. You can't go back to sleep and wish it never happened. You have to face it. It's not going to go away, so. Just face it."
Garcia also added, "There's more for me to get done in this life."
